The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Executive staff officer Joni Turville will be the new assistant executive secretary of the Alberta Teachers’ Association starting Dec. 1. She will succeed Sharon Vogrinetz, who retired at the end of July.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Turville said. “The other thing that weighs on my mind a bit is I have some pretty big shoes to fill.”

Since joining the Association as an executive staff officer in the Professional Development program area in 2009, Turville has conducted field work across the province and led the Association’s work to improve inclusive education through the Blue Ribbon Panel on Inclusive Education. A published author and well-recognized researcher, Turville is set to return Sept. 1 from a year-long sabbatical to complete her PhD at the University of Alberta.

Turville is part of a three-person changeover that’s in the works at the top of the Association’s executive staff ranks. With executive secretary Gordon Thomas set to retire next year, associate executive secretary Dennis Theobald will move into the top executive role while former Member Services co-ordinator Brian Andrais will fill the vacancy created by Theobald’s promotion. As assistant executive secretary, Turville will complete the trio.

“Dennis, Brian and I all have quite diverse backgrounds and I think that’s going to work well,” she said. “We’ve had some opportunities to meet over the summer and I am very excited to be working with both of them.”

Prior to joining the Association, Turville was a consultant with the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. She came with experience as a teacher, consultant, co-ordinator, program manager, instructor, facilitator and advisor and had worked with a variety of organizations, including St. Albert Protestant Schools, the University of Alberta, and the Bureau of Education and Research.

Turville’s involvement with the ATA spans nearly 30 years and has seen her take on the roles of local PD committee member, ATA instructor, school representative and local curriculum committee member. She also held several positions, including president, with the North Central Teachers’ Convention Association.

Turville earned both her BEd and MEd from the University of Alberta.

New executive staffer joins Member Services

Elissa Corsi has been appointed to the position of executive staff officer, Member Services, by Provincial Executive Council.

A former president of Le Conseil Francais, Corsi has worked in Alberta schools for 15 years, teaching all grades from two to nine in both English and French immersion. Corsi was also a sessional lecturer in Italian at the University of Toronto for a year and taught English in Italy for two years.

Fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish, Corsi is currently completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. She earned a BA and MA from the U of T and a BEd from the University of Alberta.

Corsi began her duties at Barnett House in August. ❚